Boris Johnson: Boosting child literacy creates passion for learning
Boris Johnson has stressed the advantages of improving the reading and writing skills of children in London.
The mayor of the city said boosting child literacy can open up many new opportunities for youngsters and instil them with a "lifelong passion for learning".
As a result, Mr Johnson is keen for adults to back a new scheme which calls on volunteers to get children more interested in reading from an early age.
"It is desperately unfair that hundreds of children in our city enter education struggling with the basic language and learning skills they need to succeed in the classroom," he commented.
Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literacy Trust, has backed the initiative, saying it could make a massive difference to families in London.
Indeed, he noted that many parents also struggle with reading and writing, as about one in five mums and dads currently have difficulties.
This comes shortly after the Institute for Social & Economic Research revealed that reading to three to five-year-olds each day may help them avoid social and emotional problems in later life.
